Advocacy Campaigns

Our campaigns may range from lobbying for lower tuition, to gender equality, to environmental issues, but the common denominator to every OCSU campaign is that they all push for positive change for students. In this section, you will find information on the various campaigns the OCSU participates in regularly.

Open Textbooks Now!

The high cost of textbooks has become a serious obstacle to accessing post-secondary education in British Columbia. The commercial textbook market enables publishers to generate huge profits at students’ expense.[1] While B.C. students (and their families) incur debt due to rent, food and tuition costs, the rising costs of already expensive textbooks adds additional financial burden and can result in delayed life choices, increased debt, and compromised academic goals. These costs limit our academic potential, and are a barrier to accessing post-secondary education for many students like us.

Fortunately, there is a solution to the rising costs of textbooks: Open Educational Resources (OERs). As some of you may already know, OERs are openly licensed teaching and learning materials that consist mainly of open textbooks, but also include things such as blogs, videos, TED talks, artwork, simulations, and teaching resources. Many open textbooks are written and peer reviewed by experts, and studies have found that students do as well or better in classes that use open textbooks.[2] What sets open textbooks apart is the “open” licence under which they are published, which enables them to be legally copied, distributed, shared and accessed at a low cost with no fear of expiration dates.

Furthermore, OERs can also be legally adapted by instructors in order to add new material, change terminology or remove chapters to better fit their class.[3]

The Open Textbooks Now! campaign from the Okanagan College Students’ Union aims to promote the availability of on-demand open educational resources, and the ability of faculty to adapt and customize open textbooks for their courses. These resources currently exist, and more are being created every day. While we believe that faculty should have the academic freedom to decide what resources best suit their course content, we want to ensure faculty members making this choice are aware of open textbooks options before finalizing their selection.

For more information: BCcampus [https://open.bccampus.ca/]
—[1] BCcampus. (2016). Who We Are – Open Educational Resources (OER). Retrieved September 5, 2016 from https://bccampus.ca/open-educational-resources-oer-teaching-resources-bccampus/[2] BCcampus. (2017). BCcampus Annual Review 2016-17. Retrieved September 8, 2017 from https://bccampus.ca/files/2017/06/BCcampusAnnualReview2016-17.pdf[3] Open Textbooks (2017). Open Textbooks. Retrieved September 29, 2017 from https://studentpirgs.org/open-textbooks

More information on OERs

What are Open Education Resources?

Open Educational Resources are “teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain…that permit{s] their free use and re-purposing by others”1. These materials commonly include textbooks and open access journals, but can also include other materials used for learning and research like course materials, modules, videos, tests, software or other resources the support access to knowledge2.

OER = Better Education

Open educational resources are said to increase knowledge flow and increase the overall quality of education3. Not only are these resources freely available to students, researchers, professors and others, but they can be changed, edited, summarized or customized for a specific class or module4. The process of adapting resources can also include students, resulting in a more meaningful learning experience5.

OER Reduces the costs to Students, Researchers, and Institutions

The cost of textbooks and course material has long been a financial challenge for students. Unlike tuition and other fees charged by colleges and universities, the cost of textbooks is not regulated by government, but rather controlled by the publishing industry. Constantly changing versions and skyrocketing prices have put many needed textbooks beyond the reach of students, and unlike governments, publishers have no need to respond to political campaigns.

OER has the very real potential to save students hundreds each semester, and thousands over their time in university or college. Open resources can be accessed for free in digital form, and for a small fee in hard copy form. Their existence not only saves money for users, but also applies real pressure to publishers to make their copyrighted materials more affordable, and easier to access and adapt.

OER could save BC students millions

The non-profit publisher OpenStax recently published the top ten university and college systems using their resources in order of amount saved by students6. OpenStax estimates that its collection of open resources alone has saved BC students more than $1 million in textbook costs. The 10,242 BC students using OpenStax represents only 3.2%7 of all BC post-secondary students, meaning there are tens of millions in potential savings for BC students.

The biggest barrier to OER access is you

There are many barriers to increased use of Open Resources at Douglas College, but most, if not all, can be overcome by coordinated action by students. This starts with you.

The Okanagan College Students’ Union has partnered with Okanagan College to launch a campaign designed to stimulate awareness and dialogue on campus about the issue of consent and Okanagan College’s sexual violence and sexual misconduct policy and supports. We will be hosting events and actions in support of this campaign on campuses through our six campaign coordinators: Beth Vinet, Valerie Arsenault, Michelle Rogers, Morgan Rogers, Brittany Portelance and Samantha Wall. Please sign our pledge to get involved, pledges are available in all three offices.

Not sure what consent means and some of the language used with Consent culture? Here is a handy definitions guide https://www.antiviolenceproject.org/info/glossary/

Curious about our radio interview about the campaign? Listen here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/programs/daybreaksouth/8-8-37-am-1.4012129

Check out some of the consent videos we have posted below:

Mental Health Awareness

Attending post-secondary can be an incredibly challenging time. We are all facing tough mental and financial strains and its important to know that there are resources out there for you should you need any assistance during your studies.

We feel it is very important that you feel happy and healthy and a sense of a positive state of mental health. For us mental health is about coping with the normal stresses of student life and making a contribution to our community.

In addition to hosting stress-less fairs, stress buster events and bringing therapy dogs on campus, we also like to raise awareness about the on site and off site assistance you can obtain as a student. Stop by our offices at any point to chat about ways we can further expand the way we help students!

Ask for help or seek advice from a professional – give your mental health the attention it needs and deserves. Here are some links for you should you ever need any help

International Women’s Day is celebrated around the globe on March 8th. We are celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. While women are still not paid equal to that of their male counterparts, women are still not present in equal numbers in business and politics and globally women’s education, health and violence against women is worse than men, this day is to celebrate the improvements that have been made. Annually, events are held around the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements by women. Find out more here

IWD 2016 campaign theme #PledgeForParity

Worldwide, women continue to contribute to social, economic, cultural and political achievement.

And we have much to celebrate today. But progress towards gender parity has slowed in many places.

We are trying to make Okanagan College bottled water free! Join us in our efforts to make our campus more sustainable by pledging to use your refillable OCSU water bottle instead of purchasing bottled water on campus. Let’s reduce our footprint and make our campus a leader by eliminating the sale of bottled water on campus. Stop by our offices anytime to sign our pledge and show your support for this campaign.

Join the growing Back the Tap movement to:

challenge the bottled water industry

reject the commodification of water – it is not something to be bought and sold for profit,

promote safe, environmentally-sound municipal drinking water

defend public water systems against privatisation,

demand better funding to maintain and strengthen municipal water systems, and

work to promote safe drinking water for all – including for the many First Nations communities that currently lack access.

Where’s the Justice

The Canadian Federation of Students formed this campaign to research policy options that address the underrepresentation of Indigenous students at colleges and universities and to research the effects of colonialism and systemic oppression on Indigenous communities as they pertain to equity issues and core campaign work.

White Ribbon Campaign

White Ribbon is the world’s largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls, promote gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity. Men began to wear white ribbons in 1991, as a pledge to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls. Since then the White Ribbon campaign has spread to over 60 countries around the world. You can find more information on the White Ribbon campaign and take the pledge here www.whiteribbon.ca.

End the Blood Ban

End the blood ban that prevents men who have had sex with men from donating lifesaving blood. In Canada, a man who has had sex with a man in the past five years cannot donate blood. This ban ignores scientific evidence and it needs to end. Read more here.

Coalition Partner Campaigns

It is time to increase the minimum wage and address poverty and income inequality in BC. BC’s minimum wage is one of the lowest in Canada. As the cost of living continues to go up, workers earning minimum wage cannot make ends meet. BC’s minimum wage leaves full-time workers living thousands of dollars below the poverty line.

The BC Federation of Labour believes that work should lift you out of poverty. It’s time for the BC government to make a real increase to the minimum wage so that nobody is left behind.

Government Relations

The OCSU is engaged in lobbying all levels of government on behalf of our members. Lobbying takes the form of petition drives, media events, educating the public and our members on post-secondary issues and meeting frequently with representatives at the municipal, provincial and federal levels.

Within the Institution:

The OCSU lobbies the Okanagan College Board of Governors on an annual basis. While many factors play a role, this Board makes the final decision on whether your tuition rises on an annual basis (within the 2% cap). Your Students’ Union works hard every year to keep the pressure on the Board of Governors to keep tuition fees from increasing even more.

At the Municipal Level:

The Okanagan College Students’ Union represents students from a variety of communities throughout the Okanagan-Shuswap regions. We are actively speaking out on public transit, affordable housing, and local issues that affect your life as a student.

At the Provincial Level:

Provincially, the OCSU has a strong ally with the British Columbia Federation of Students – BCFS. Through the BCFS, the OCSU participates in a number ongoing campaigns aimed at targeting funding for post-secondary institutions, student loan interest rates, and student employment. We also meet regularly with the many MLA’s throughout the Okanagan-Shuswap to ensure that your voice is brought to the legislature.

At the Federal Level:

The OCSU has pushed for increased federal student grants, stronger provincial funding models for post-secondary education, and improvements to the Canadian Student Loan Program. The OCSU ensures your voice is heard by meeting regularly with MPs throughout the Okanagan-Shuswap.

Top Three Ways to Make a Difference

Sign a petition or take a pledge in one of our campaigns listed on this page.

Talk to your friends about the issues you care about

Come volunteer at our offices in Kelowna, Penticton, or Salmon Arm.

Have a suggestion for something we should be advocating on? Let us know!